Electrically-operated time-switch.



1. AKPENNEWELL & M. R. BUCHANAN.

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED Tliv'iE SWliGH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY23' i913- Patented May 4, 191.

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Jillliflfi W. PENNEWELL Alli) MQSE RUCHANAJ, l3]? ELECTRICALZY-OPERATED TIIYiE-SWITCH.

Application filled July 28, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, .lAiins PENNE- WILL and Moss R. BUCHANAN. citizens of the United States, and residents of Silver in the county of Grant and State of New Mexico, have invented it new and liniproved ElectricallyUpercted liine-Snitch, of which the following is r. fiill, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an electricallyoperstei. time switch especially adopted for ligl'iting circuits whereby the lamps can main lighted only for predetermined intervals so that there will not he Waste of cnrrent by the lights being kept burning when they are not needed, such a switch being espccially useful in refrigerating or cold storage rooms Where the employees are likely to leave the lamps in circuit negligently when they pass out of the room after having performed the duty that necessitated their entrance. This not only prevents an unnecessary Waste of current but relieves the refrigerating plant from undue work to keep the temperature down to normal against the heat generated by the lamps.

The invention has for its general objects to improve and simplify the construction and ope a tion of devices of the character referred to so as to be reliable and ellicient in use comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and install and so designed that a. minimum of current is required to operate the switch.

Another object of the invention. is the provision of av motor-actuated switch including novel means for driving the movable contact oi the switch by the motor and-yet providing for the closing of the switch by hand. the opening and closing; of the switch being c'll'ected on the quick-acting principle so that destructive sparking is overcome.

With such objects in view, and others as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel. features of construction and girrangement of which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrates one embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters are en'iploycd to designate corresponding: ports throughout the several views, Figure L is a diagrammatic View of the motor-operated switch, ihe switch proper being shown in secwhich Specification of Letters Patent.

parts v Patented ills-y lgiilif.

Serial lilo. 280/35 tion; and 2 is a. front view of switch proper.

Referring to the drawing, designates a. switch of the quicloccting therefor, and C the?" power snemitting moons between the rot-li ting port of the motor and the movable element oi the switch.

The switch A comprises a supporting plate 1 on which are. mounted concentric contacts 2 and 3 which are incomplete ci else, there being segments e and 5 of insulstion which serve to complete the circle. A movable contact 6 rides over the fixed contacts 2 and 3 and insulation segments 4 and 5, such contact 6 serving to electrically con-- ncct the contacts 2 and 3 and thus complete the lighting circuit. This lighting circuit includes a. suitable source of current and the Wires '4' and 8 forming one side of the circuit are connected with the segments 2 and 3, respectively, the other side of the circuit being formed by the wire 9. As shown in Fig. 1, any suitable srrangeinene of lamps 10 may be connected with the Wires 7 and 9, so as to be connected in circuit as long as the bridging contact 6 engages the contacts and The bridging contact 6 is hingedly connected at 11 with an arm 12 that turns on a shaft 13 concentric Within the circular contacts 3, and a spring 14 is connected with the outer end of the arm 12 and also with the contact 6, so that the arm 12 can be moved while the bridging contact 6 is temporarily rest ined, especially when the letter is about to leex'e or move into engagement wifih the contacts 2 and 3, whereby the spring l-l is placed under tension to effect a, quick movement of the contact 6 when the letter is released, so that sparking will not occur at the ends of the contacts 2 and 3 during the passage of the contact 6. This restraining and releasing of the contact 6 is ellected by stops 15 and 16 located respectively at the leaving and approaching ends 1'? and 18 ofthe contacts 2 and 3. The contact d projects outwardly beyond the contact-3 so as to strike the stop 15 or 16 as the arm 12 moves in a clockwise direction Fig. 9.. lVhen the arm 12 re'achesc certain posilion the tip 19 of the contact 0 passes under the restraining stop and quickly snaps ed the leaving ends of the contacts 2 and 3 when the stop 15 is considered, or quickly passes onto the approach ends of the contacts 2 and 3 when the sto 16 is considered.

The shaft 13 is in'otor- .riven during the .3 a motor 9 time the bridging contact 6 is in engagement with the contacts 2 and 3, but the arm 12 must be ma-nnallyoperated to close the switch by bringing the contact 8 into engagement with the ends 18 of the contacts 2 end 3. To permit the arm 12 to be manually turned to close the switch while the shaft 13 remains stationary a clutch device is employed between the inn 12 and shaft 13, such deviceconsisting of spring washers 20,l*ig.1,which yieldingly engage opposite sides of the arm 12, such Washers being mounted on the shaft 13. The turning of the arm 12 is efiecte'd by a handle or equivalent device 21.

The motor B whichdrives the contact carrying mag continuously during the time the lamps 10 are lighted consists of a core 22 having its poles 23 and 24: disposed at opposite sides of an aluminum disk 26 which is fastened to a rotatable shaft 2?, such shaft being connected by a worm gearing 28 with a shaft 29 that is in turn connected by a cog gearing 30 to the shaft 13. Wound on the pole 23 is a notcntial coil 31 connected by wires 82 and 33 with the wires? and 9, respectively, and in the wire 7 is a current coil 34 which is wound on the other pole of the motor core22. Current passing througli the. coils produces magnetic fluxes which generate in the aluminum disk current that in turn sets up a magneto-motive force which rcects on the magnetic field due to the. poles and causes the disk to turn, and this turning continues as long as current is flowing through the circuit to keep the lamps 10 lighted, The interval of iiiinnination depends upon the eii'ectiv length of the contacts-F2 and'3 or the speed of the motor and the speed ratio of the trans mission means U between the motor and the I contact-carrying: arm 12. Any of these factors may be varied to keep the lights burning for any desired period of time. When the lights go out and the person in the cold storage room is not through with the task he is to perform he must close the switch by manipulating, the arm 12 in a directio'n to carrv the contact over the insulat ing segments 4.: and 5 and into engagement with the contacts 2 and (if course, do! in the time the switch is opened the motor is out of circuit so that there is no consumption of current. I

v From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drewing-s, the advantn of the construction and method of opcr: ion will be readily understood by those sxilled in the art to which essence the invention appertains, and While we have contacts, a bridging contact movable along the fixed contacts, a hinged connection between the contact and element whereby the contact is moved by the latter, said movable contact extending across the fixed contact with a free end projecting beyond the latter, stops being arranged adjacent the ends of the fixed contacts and located in the path of the movement of the free end. of the movable contact, whereby the latter "wipes against the stops to retard the movement oi the movable contact while the said'eleinent moves, and a spring connected with the movable contact and element and adapted tobe placed under tension while the mom able contact is in engagement with a stop for causing the movable contact to pass quickly oil the fixed contacts at one end or on the contacts at the op'posite'ends.

2. in a switch device of the class 'dcscribed, the combination of a shaft, an arm thereon, a clutch between the arm and shaft for permitting the arm to be moved While the shaft is stationary, a movable contact mounted on the arm, fixed contact means over which the movable contact travels, stop devices adjacent the ends of the movable contact means for momentarily arresting the movable contact While the arm continuously moves, and c spring connected with the arm and movable contact and arranged to be placed under tension by the momentary arresting of the movable contact for causing the'latter to move quickly on or oi? the fixed contact means as the movable contact passes the said stop devices.

in testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification n the presence of two subscribing witnesses, v

JAMES i Vl- PENN'EHW LL. MOSE BUCHANAN.

Witness s: d. M. driven, "W. 1*). Bnmvsxnn. 

